Case Law
Case Law
2. 1997 S C M R page-1514
[Muhammad Sidique Ahmad Khan and others v. Pakistan Railways through
Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer, Pakistan Railways, Lahore and
others]
6. 1999 S C M R page-311
[House Building Finance Corporation through Managing Director, Karachi
and another v. Inayatullah Shaikh]
Other precedents
1. 2012 C L D page-6
[Abdul Majeed Khan v. Tawseen Abdul Haleem and others] – Abdul Majeed
Case.
4. 2015 S C M R page-1257
[Pir Imran Sajid and others v. Managing Director/General Manager
(Manager Finance) Telephone Industries of Pakistan and others]
5. 2018 S C M R page-1181
[Messrs State Oil Company Limited v. Bakht Siddique and others]
JUDGMENT
Muhammad Faisal Kamal Alam, J: - The Plaintiff has filed present lis
c) To grant cost of the suit and any other reliefs which this
Honourable Court may deem fit and proper under the
circumstances of the case.”
2. Whether the plaintiff has any cause of action against the defendants
to file this suit?
Mr. Muhammad Aqil Awan, Advocate, that Plaintiff was terminated from
further argued that the suit is within time as early the termination was
section 2-A of the Federal Service Tribunal Act, 1974, was partly struck
down, the Plaintiff has filed the present proceeding. To address the issue of
evidence as Exhibit 5/8, was issued from the office of Defendants situated
4. On the other hand, Mr. Fayaz Hussain, learned counsel for the
primarily, by stating that Plaintiff was employed on temporary basis and his
ground, that Plaintiff was throughout gainfully employed in the Works and
the case.
08.11.2003, produced in the evidence as Exhibit No. 5/8 was also issued
Plaintiff also resides in Karachi. Subsequently, it has not been disputed, that
No.3. The case law relied upon by the learned counsel for the Defendants
situated outside the City of Karachi and it is a settled law and principle that
few exceptions. But here the Plaintiff is agitating his grievance relating to
tortious liability and wrong done against the person of Plaintiff. Whether or
this Court, because, in view of the above discussion, the present grievance
of Plaintiff falls within the ambit of Section 19 of C.P.C. and the present
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proceeding is maintainable before this Court. The Issues No.1, 2 and 4 are
answered in Affirmative.
that earlier the Plaintiff agitated his grievance before the Federal
Services Tribunal but his case was affected by the well-known judgment of
Defence and others), wherein, Section 2(A) of the Service Tribunal Act,
1973, was struck down and the Honorable Supreme Court has laid
down the guidelines, inter alia, with regard to abatement of the proceedings
of those persons who were affected by the above judgment and their
matters / cases were pending at the relevant time before the Service
Tribunal.
about abatement of his Service Appeal with effect from 27.06.2006. Per
ISSUE NO.5:
10. In his cross examination, the Plaintiff has categorically refuted that
he was appointed for a limited period and was employed temporarily only
for completing the project; whereas, the sole witness of Defendants, in his
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account of his efficiency. The witness DW-1 (of Defendant) has also
which was earlier working under the control of Director General Port and
came under the control of Gawadar Port Authority (Defendant No.3) in the
latter as Exhibit 5/2 and by the Defendant as Exhibit 6/3, does not talk
about the appointment of Plaintiff for a particular project and post, while
has not disputed the fact that no disciplinary proceeding was ever initiated
Defendants’ witness that two other officers, who were removed from
service along with the Plaintiff, were later restored by the Courts and the
said employees retired form Defendant No.3 after completing their period
of service.
dated 17.04.1989 (Exhibit 5/2) and was terminated vide the Impugned
Termination Letter dated 08.11.2003 (Exhibit 5/8), which means that the
Plaintiff remained in service for around 14 years. Although Clause (i) of the
above Memorandum states that the post against which the Plaintiff was
appointed, was temporary; Clause (v) of the above Memorandum states that
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period of probation can be two years, whereas, Clauses (iii) and (vi) of the
said Memorandum provide that Civil Servant Act, 1973 and other Rules,
are also applicable in the subject case, but, from the appraisal of the
evidence, it is quite evident that at present the Defendant No.2 has merged
with Defendant No.3 and the employees have been transferred to Defendant
No.3, which is a Statutory Authority and the core activity of the said
undisputedly worked with Defendants No.2 and 3 for 14 long years and it
cannot be accepted that throughout these years till his termination, he was a
temporary employee.
decisions is that employees who have given their years together of life,
Imam case, the Honourable Supreme Court has further expounded Article
Plaintiff has substance, that the service of Plaintiff got regularized and he
upon by the learned counsel for the Plaintiff, particularly the cases
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No.2 and 3 and his services should not have been terminated as was done
by Defendants.
The reported cases relied upon by the learned counsel for the
were daily wages workers and failed to produce any appointment letter in
support of their case, as also observed by the learned Division Bench of this
Court and since their case did not fall under the Regularization Scheme
plaintiffs of the reported decision filed the suit while in service in relation
completely different from the present case and hence have no applicability
here.
14. Since the Plaintiff has quantified his claim of Damages into different
15. In view of the above discussion and the evidence of both parties, the
claim of Plaintiff in respect of the damages has now been limited to the post
May 2013 period and damages towards mental distress and loss of
reputation.
and (b) that no Show Cause Notice was issued prior to the Impugned
Termination Letter.
17. With regard to ground (a) above no convincing evidence has been
letter of appreciation (Exhibit 5/3) produced in the evidence and relied upon
by the Plaintiff along with other documents, have also been issued by
can be given that the impugned Letter was unauthorizedly issued. However,
with regard to ground (b), the stance taken by the Plaintiff has substance,
considering the evidence of the parties and the precedents relied upon by
the Plaintiff’s learned counsel. Once it has already been determined in the
Rules were / are applicable in the present case, the services of Plaintiff
could not have and should not have ended in the manner as is done by the
18. The crux of the reported decisions relied upon by the Plaintiff’s legal
statute being one of its integral part, unless, expressly excluded. Even the
letter / order has been held to be violative of due process and fundamental
Bench of this Court has specifically dealt with the term ‘service is no
longer required’ and it was held that this cannot be a ground or reason for
termination.
Itrat Sajjad Khan and others [2017 S C M R page-2010], has dilated upon the
above issue in an exhaustive manner. The Respondent (of the reported case)
was appointed as Lecturer in BS-17 by the appellant DHA and was posted
challenged and reached the Apex Court. One of the main defences setup by
end in view of Rule 8(B)(i) of the Service Rules framed by the Appellant –
Appellant – DHA.
19. From the above, it is not difficult to conclude that the Defendants
terminated the service of Plaintiff in an illegal manner, for which they are
that Plaintiff was throughout gainfully employed and was working with the
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Chief has stated that subsequently he (Plaintiff) was absorbed in the service
rightly argued that Plaintiff at the same time cannot be considered in the
and the Sindh Government. This is further fortified by the undisputed fact
that Plaintiff was directed to report to the Sindh Government vide letter
dated 21.10.2002 (Exhibit 5/7) of Defendant No.3 and his services with the
Sindh Government came to an end in May 2013 (as per Plaintiff’s own
admission). It means that Plaintiff worked with the Sindh Government for
Service Rules is five years. Plaintiff has not produced any evidence about
his services with the Sindh Government and how his employment came to
an end in May 2013 while he was working in the Department of Works and
Services, Government of Sindh. Hence, even his modified / latest claim that
3 after May 2013 period, is also not tenable. Thus only claim for damages
termination by the Defendants; and for this category of loss Plaintiff has
Examination-in-Chief.
20. Broadly, damages are of two kinds; general and special. Special
damages are awarded only when a party successfully proves actual losses
suffered by him / her. In the present case, as already determined above that
the Plaintiff has failed to prove his losses of Rs.48,90,168/- (Rupees Forty
Eight Lacs Ninety Thousand One Hundred Sixty Eight only), specifically
the case, the Superior Courts have held in number of decisions, Abdul
because it relates to a claim arising out of service matter of appellant (of the
part of the World, the Honourable Apex Court was pleased to award
from the date of filing of the suit till the recovery of the entire amount.
vis-à-vis mental agony has been discussed and the conclusion is that there
cases, which are meant to compensate a party who suffers an injury. The
awarded to the Plaintiffs because they were able to prove that their
21. Adverting to the present case. Plaintiff has not suffered any loss of
the Sindh Government, without any difficulty; thus his plea for damages for
be assessed only to the extent of mental agony and distress. The rule laid
invoked in the present case. It is a matter of record that Plaintiff has put in
No.2 and 3 with an unblemished service record to his credit and his services
view that the Plaintiff is entitled for general damages to the tune of
The Issues are answered accordingly, and the present suit is decreed
which the Defendants No.2 and 3 are liable to pay jointly and severally to
the Plaintiff with 10% markup from the date of this decision till realization
Judge
Riaz / P.S.